Last modified: Wednesday, March 26, 2008
New rankings say IU School of Law--Bloomington is No. 14 in nation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University School of Law--Bloomington has been ranked No. 14 in the nation and fourth among public institutions in a new listing of the top 25 law schools.
The rankings are by Vault, an online service that provides career information for students, graduates and employers, including law firms. The rankings are based on a survey of law firms and focus on the employability of law school graduates.
"I am particularly gratified by this assessment of our students' preparation because it is made by people who actually hire and work with new lawyers," said Lauren Robel, dean of the IU School of Law--Bloomington. "We have long felt that our students had ability without attitude -- that they demonstrate a tremendous work ethic while excelling at the legal analysis. I am glad that those who make hiring decisions share our confidence in our graduates."
Vault surveyed nearly 400 hiring partners, hiring committee members, associate interviewers and recruiting professionals from across the country on which law schools best prepare their graduates for success. They were asked to evaluate graduates' research and writing skills, knowledge of legal doctrine, possession of other relevant knowledge, and ability to manage a calendar and work with an assistant.
According to the Vault Web site, with 58 percent of law school graduates entering private practice, the rankings fill an important gap with their unique emphasis on employability.
The Stanford University Law School ranked No. 1 in the survey. Only three public law schools ranked higher than IU: the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, the University of Virginia and the University of California Berkeley.
The Indiana University School of Law--Bloomington is a leader in many fields of legal scholarship, including the study of constitutional democracy, cybersecurity, criminal law and procedure, environmental law and intellectual property. More than half of its faculty members engage in research related to the effects of globalization on law and legal systems. The school has been recognized as being at the forefront of the current transformation of legal education prompted by the path-breaking recent report, "Educating Lawyers," from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
